Just Breathe
by drakkhammer
Summary: Kili is a vet at the Auckland Zoo. Fili is a photographer who wanted some great snaps of the animals. It all started out pretty decently considering the fact that Kili was very nervous about meeting anyone as gorgeous as this photographer. Kili introduced him to some great animals and then the day got a lot more exciting than either of them bargained on.


It was a gloriously sunny morning at the Auckland Zoo. While I relished my new job as an assistant vet, I definitely did not relish my current task. My boss had been far too smug over the phone as he gave the morning's assignment. I had cursed Thorin cheerfully when he told me, and I cursed him somewhat less cheerfully now that I had my entire arm embedded in Burma's arse.

Burma is our 32 year-old 3,300kg Asian elephant. She's been at the zoo since 1990 and is a real sweetheart. I made her acquaintance on my first day at the zoo. I gave her an apple then and every time I saw her since. It's probably the only reason she tolerated the indignity of letting me root around in her innards to manually pull out most of an entire bale of clover hay she managed to shoplift off the back of a truck parked too close to the back of her enclosure. The hay was new, sweet, and apparently too delicious not to eat in its entirety. As a result, her intestinal tract had bailed on her sometime around dawn. Bard, her handler, found her bloated and uncomfortable and called Thorin, who had been only too happy to call me.

Bard kept her occupied while I did my job. I scooped out mounds of feces mixed with undigested hay, praying that I wouldn't have to give her an enema. I'd never given one to an elephant and I didn't want to break my streak. I was already covered in elephant shit, which fortunately smelled mostly like new mown grass; very, very strong new mown grass. She swayed slightly in that way that elephants do when they are getting bored.

I slapped her rump and said in what I hoped was an encouraging voice, "Bear with me a little longer, old girl. We've almost got it."

She suddenly stopped swaying, grunted, and Bard yelled at me to move. I extracted my arm and jumped sideways just in time to avoid a blast of fetid air and a liquid stream of partially digested hay. It was disgusting, but the dam had broken and Burma was going to be just fine. She made self-satisfied little tooting noises and shuffled sideways a couple of steps to reach her trunk out to me. This meant, "Apple, please." I laughed and stripped off my shoulder-length gloves so that I could fish one out of my bag for her. She earned it.

I picked up my gear and squelched my way around to her head. That amazingly dexterous trunk ruffled my hair and picked up my ponytail to give it a gentle tug before releasing it and slipping down my arm to hold hands with me. She looked at me and blinked, her eyes full of intelligence and wisdom I always felt humble in her presence. "I know you're sorry and I know you won't do it again, right?"

She let go of my hand and shook her head. Bard burst out laughing. "Not until someone gives you another chance, you mean."

She whuffled at him and poked him gently with her trunk, trying to distract him. These two were old friends and knew each other far too well. He took her trunk and held it for a moment. "I promise you will get some more of the clover hay for dinner, but not the whole bale this time, understand?"

She rocked sideways and slid her trunk down my arm to hold hands again. It was my turn to shake my head. "You listen to Bard. You don't want me to have to come back and shove my arm up your arse again, do you?" She sighed and ignored me by exploring my pockets in quest of another apple. I "just happened" to have another one with me, so I let her discover it and pretend to sneak it out of my bag.

"Call me if she shows any signs of discomfort," I said as I picked up my bag and headed for the clinic. He promised and Burma solemnly waved goodbye to me as I trudged out of her compound on my way to a hot shower and breakfast.

It was still early and I thought I was the only one at the rear of the clinic. The staff was beginning to arrive, but they would be up toward the front in the kitchen fixing breakfast for our patients. I stripped just outside the backdoor, putting my shitty clothes into a heap along with my boots. I wanted to burn the lot, but since that was impossible, I'd shower, put on clean clothes and the veterinary version of a hazmat suit, and come back to clean them later.

I stripped to my briefs and had almost made it to the shower when a wolf-whistle rang out behind me. "If this is your new uniform, I approve!"

It was Tauriel, the head tech, and she was leering at me with an expression that let me know that I was in for one hell of a ribbing. Well, if I could take the shit I guess I could take the piss.

"Eat your heart out," I replied, trying to look as sassy as someone who reeks like elephant manure possibly can.

"You sure are a hairy bastard," she commented as she put the coffee on to perk. "I can see why you wanted to work in a zoo. You must feel right at home."

Holding my middle finger aloft, I vanished into the washroom. I hauled out a couple of towels, got the shampoo and soap, and threw myself into a shower that was cold enough to make me squeak. A giggle told me that Tauriel had heard me and I muttered dire threats under my breath. Next time Burma needed a cleanout I was going to need the assistance of one redheaded smartass tech. I turned the temperature dial up to hot and leaned against the wall, letting the cascade wash the crap down the drain.

When I had boiled myself sufficiently and the only trace of Burma was the memory of the scent lingering in my mind, I got out and caught sight of myself in the mirror. I needed to either shave or make up my mind to grow a beard and, even wet my hair was unruly. I got my dark coloring from my mother, but my features from my dad. We both had what Mum called a "resting bitch face" that had been the bane of my teenage years. It's hard to get a date when you always look slightly pissed. I made a face at myself, dried, dressed, and headed for the door with my coveralls in my hand.

Tauriel stopped me by holding out a mug of coffee that smelled heavenly. I'd never admit it but she was the only one of us who could make a decent cup of coffee in that ancient machine. She was tall and lean and gorgeous. It was days like this that made me wish I was straight but it could have just been her deft touch with the coffeemaker.

"Kili, I hosed your clothes off, they're in the washing machine. I got your boots pretty good but you'll need to take a brush to get all the muck off."

I resisted the urge to hug her, deciding instead that she really wouldn't have to help me with any further pachyderm disimpactions. "You are an angel sent straight from heaven."

"And you are as full of shit inside as you were outside," she cheerfully replied, gesturing toward the table. "I heard a rumor that you got hauled out of bed in the wee hours to take care of Burma so I fixed you an egg and bacon sandwich."

I turned to see a thick sandwich cut and waiting for me. "Did I say angel? You are a saint. They will build shrines to you and..."

"Oh shut the fuck up, it's getting way too Irish in here."

She pulled out a chair and sat across from me. "I...uh...need a favor. My cousin Philip, well actually we call him Fili, weird huh how your names are alike but anyway, he's a photographer and wanted to take some photos at the zoo and I kinda wondered if you'd help me and him out." She ran out of breath and sat there looking into her coffee and sneaking peeks up at me.

My mouth was full of sandwich so I just nodded and waved my hand for her to keep going.

"He's a really nice guy and he won't be any trouble. I think you'll like him. He's really nice." Her eyebrows went up as she realized that she was repeating herself.

I stopped chewing.

Wedging my sandwich into my cheek I mumbled, "And he's gay."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yeah, kinda."

I swallowed. "There's no 'kinda' with gay. It's like being pregnant, you either are or you aren't...unless he's bi."

She shrugged. "I don't think so. I don't know him real well but all I ever heard was that he had a boyfriend. Well, he did, he doesn't anymore and..."

"You thought maybe you'd fix us up?" I took a sip of coffee and nailed her with an accusatory glare.

"Maybe." She hesitated and then repeated, "Because he's nice."

"You already said that. Three times to be exact. When you say someone is 'nice' that many times it means that's pretty much all they have going for them." I hated to be the one to burst her bubble but I didn't want to babysit the family dweeb just because I was probably the only gay guy Tauriel knew.

"He's really good looking." She paused. "Well, I think he is. Mom thinks he's a hot mess, but I like his style."

I winced as I took too big a swallow of hot coffee but it was better than looking into her big blue eyes and seeing the plea in them.

She pulled out her phone and fumbled around. "I have a picture of him. I took it last month so it's not an old one."

She shoved her phone in front of my face and I grabbed it to push it back so that I could focus on one of the most astonishingly gorgeous men I'd ever seen. He had a broad shoulders and a mass of golden hair that he'd pulled back into a messy bun, with half of it spilling out in waves. I immediately wanted to take that bun down and let those waves run free. I realized I was staring and coughed to hide my embarrassment. Before I handed the phone back, I snuck another look and noted that he had a full beard.

Oh dear god in heaven, why don't you just hand me all the kryptonite at once?

I fake-coughed again. "When...uh...did you say he's coming?"

"When can you fit him into your schedule?"

I had a lot of answers for that, and none of them were G-rated. "I have the day after tomorrow off." It was a Friday, not a terribly busy day at the zoo and a pretty good day for a date, if I could stretch it that long.

Oh please let him not have a boyfriend!

Tauriel beamed at me as if I was doing her a huge favor with a cherry on top. She pulled up his number and handed me her phone so that I could copy it over. I wanted to ask for a copy of the snap as well, but felt that might be pushing my luck. I was supposed to be acting generous, not like a horny teenager, even if that was how I felt at the moment.

Tauriel got up to leave and I sat there looking at Fili's number wondering how in the world I was going to call him and sound like an adult. I got up and poured myself another cup of coffee. I'd need a lot more caffeine before I was ready to tackle a phone call to this man.

I headed for the meeting room just in time for the start of the day's briefing. Burma had kept me from having to do the setup and prep work, which meant that others had to do it for me. However word had apparently already spread about how I started my morning and instead of glares, I got sympathetic looks and a wink or two.

Ah…such is the life of a zoo vet.

It was afternoon before I got enough of a break to call Fili. I halfway hoped to get an answering machine. No such luck, he answered on the third ring.

"Durinson Photography, how may I help you?" Shit, even his voice was gorgeous.

"I'm…uh...calling you because your cousin Tauriel gave me your number and…uh…said you wanted to do take some snaps at the zoo." Way to go, asshole. Just sound like an idiot and make him sound like some tourist with a disposable camera.

"Aces. You must be the vet she told me about." There was a smile in his voice, so I guess I hadn't offended him.

"Yeah, that'd be me. Friday's my day off, so I could show you around a bit, if it's convenient."

There was a pause and I assumed he was checking his schedule. Finally he said, "I'm free after lunch.

I grinned. "Great. When you come to the gate tell them you're here to see me and they'll give you a lift to the clinic."

"Oh good, I was worried I'd be wandering around for an hour trying to find you. I'll be there at 1:30 if that's okay."

"Yeah, that's good. I'll be here." Of course you will be here, you idiot! I laughed at my case of nerves. By Friday I probably would hit the ceiling if someone said boo.

He hung up and I just sat there and put my face in my hands. Great, I'm sure he thinks that the guy with the rhyming name is a moron who was lucky enough to make it through vet school. Shoot me now.

Tauriel assisted me later when I was sewing up one of our springboks. These are delightful little gazelles that have a behavior called "pronking," which involves jumping up and down in magnificent leaps, apparently for the fun of it. This poor little guy had pronked too close to the rocks inside his enclosure and had given himself a nasty gash on one haunch.

They are flighty and I was glad I wasn't in on the team that isolated and tranquilized him for transport to the clinic. I'm pretty handy with a tranq gun but always have a fear that I will miscalculate the dosage and tranquilize the animal permanently. I'm told that this is a good fear to have, but I don't enjoy it very much.

I told Tauriel I'd called Fili and he was coming out on Friday after lunch. "I'll show him around and let him get close to anything that won't eat him, but no big cats, or even little ones, and no big primates. He won't be able to get any closer to them than the visitors anyway."

She laughed. "The worst bite I've ever gotten was from one of our cotton-top tamarins. He was so tiny I thought he'd be harmless but he went up my arm like I was a cob of corn. But the golden lion tamarins are pretty friendly and I'll bet their color will wow him." She deftly handed me the suture materials and kept on talking. "And definitely show him the meerkats, those will probably keep him busy for at least an hour."

I had to agree. I didn't like to play favorites but those cheeky little members of the mongoose family are endlessly entertaining and quite tame. They would have a great time exploring Fili's camera and gear. I definitely added meerkats to our list. The little golden tamarins were a maybe. I didn't really want him to get bitten, unless it was by me.

Blushing at the thought, I avoided Cindy's eyes and finished up with Skippy the Wonder Springbok. Thank god I had a couple of days to stop thinking with my hormones and at least pretend to be an adult.

Friday rolled around before I was ready and 1:30 came even faster. Before I knew it, the clinic door was opening and Fili was being escorted in by one of the maintenance staff who cocked an eyebrow as he looked at Fili and then turned and sped out of the door. I cocked an eyebrow at Fili myself.

I was dressed for tramping, wearing jeans, sneaks, an old Auckland Zoo T-shirt and my hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Fili was dressed more like he'd come out of the pages of GQ. The rumpled bun seemed to be a thing with him and once again, I itched to explore that wild golden hair. Instead of being dressed for potentially meeting animals with muddy paws, he was wearing nice slacks and what looked like an expensive blazer. He was totally gorgeous and totally not dressed for tramping around animal enclosures.

Did you ever try to sigh and groan at the same time? I don't recommend it. You end up sounding like something small and stepped on.

Fili had been about to greet me, but he stopped with his hand still outstretched. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry," I said, trying desperately to make up some excuse for the flat rat sound. "I thought I was going to...uh...sneeze. But I didn't."

Fucking brilliant, now my IQ has dropped to new lows and started to dig.

I quickly reached out and took his hand, shaking it a bit too hard. "I'm Kili. Glad you could make it."

He held onto my hand just a beat too long and I would have sworn that he was sizing me up. I guess he liked what he saw, because he favored me with a smile and fuck me if he didn't have dimples. I wondered if he kicked puppies or pushed old ladies into traffic, because he was shaping up to be the most perfect man I'd ever seen.

"Did you have any particular itinerary in mind, any animals that you specifically wanted to see?" I needed to say something fast before I simply grabbed him and dragged him into the small sleeping quarters in back.

"I'd like to see the kiwis. I got some good shots of Manukura, the little white kiwi, when I was at Pukaha. She's amazing."

Whoa, huge points for knowing her name and gender. Maybe he wasn't just a photographer who was too handsome for my own good. "Sure, I can get you up close and personal with our kiwis. Anything else you have in mind?"

"I'd like the see some of the native endangered species, particularly the takahē, tuatura and the kea."

I nodded. "The kea aren't as endangered as they were now that they have full protection."

He laughed and my heart skipped a beat. "I know, but they still get bad press for being so destructive. I'd like to show them being more playful."

It was my turn to laugh. "Well, for them playing _is_ being destructive but I get where you're coming from. They are big with a hell of a beak, but they are also the world's smartest parrot and pretty friendly, but don't let them anywhere near your equipment or you'll be taking it back in pieces. You can meet one, but it's best to take your snaps from a distance.

"I want to show you the meerkats too, just because they're the most fun you can have with your clothes on."

He cocked his head, one eyebrow raised. "They are?"

I could feel myself blushing. "Yeah, well, it's just an expression, but I'm sure you'll get some good snaps. They love to perform for an audience."

I was pleased that he hadn't immediately asked to see the "big guns" of the zoo; the tigers, red pandas, cheetahs, or elephants. I would like him to meet Burma, but maybe another time.

I grabbed the keys to one of our golf carts and watched as he loaded in his equipment. I gave him props for not carrying around a ton of crap. We'd had other photographers come in and they seemed to drag in every piece of equipment they owned. Fili just had a backpack and his camera, which was probably worth more than I made in a year. Ah…maybe in another life.

I headed for Te wao nui, which is our precinct for local species, and then turned into the High Country exhibit. The keas were dead easy. There is usually a staff member who has one out to introduce to the visitors. Today it was Nori, who was as cheeky as the parrots. He was holding a younger parrot who was more inquisitive than destructive. Always a good thing when getting up close and personal.

I introduced him to Fili, who had wisely put his camera in his backpack and left both a safe distance away. With my permission, Nori asked Fili if he wanted to hold the parrot. He very much did and stretched out his arm, holding it steady when the heavy bird stepped onto him. I chalked up another point for obvious large bird experience.

"This is Ranginui, Rangi for short. He's named after the Maori god of the sky and he's aware that we are all his loyal subjects." Nori laughed as he said it but you could see how much love and respect he had for his charge.

Fili looked at Rangi as he fluffed his green-bronze feathers, then stretched his wings showing off his teal primaries and the flash of orange under his wings. Fili made a small nod to the parrot. "You are well-named, sky lord."

As befits a god meeting a mortal, Rangi looked bored for a moment and then headed for the collar of Fili's shirt. He found the button fascinating and gently nibbled on it, slyly trying to distract from his real intent. When he started to tug, Nori reached over and tapped his beak. "No bite." The parrot gave a disappointed little squawk that made us all laugh.

With no button to amuse him, Rangi sidled up Fili's arm and gently investigated his bun. It only took him a moment to find the band take a good hold and whip it out of his hair. Rangi seemed surprised at the avalanche of hair and then looked pleased with himself. He'd destroyed something, yay. Holding the band, he carefully held it with his foot and explored it thoroughly with his tongue. I explained that parrots use their tongue like we use our fingers since their feet and toes are relatively insensitive.

Fili nodded and I had a feeling that he already knew that. He seemed a lot more comfortable with the parrot than I would have expected. The bird found the band relatively uninteresting and gave it back when Nori reached over and tugged on it.

Rangi was becoming bored with no toys and not being allowed to yank Fili's buttons off so he started to dance back and forth like a fussy child. Fili reluctantly gave him back to Nori in exchange for the band and went to get his camera. Shoving his hair back into a messy bun, he spent some time setting up his camera and, after asking permission, took a number of shots of the bird and a few of him with Nori. When he was done, Nori showed him to the enclosure where he was able to get more snaps of the adult birds, who were really, really interested in his camera.

We thanked Nori and moved on to the takahē enclosure. They are critically endangered and once thought extinct. Fortunately some were found and the Auckland Zoo joined with the conservationists to breed them back. They a beautiful flightless bird with lovely dusty blue and green plumage as somber as their manner and the appearance of being upper class British folk who have, by some misfortune, to consort with peasants. They were more of a challenge as they weren't tame, but they could be bribed and were finally coaxed out of the brush with some treats. Fili took a number of photos and when he sat still one of the males came over to investigate his lens so he got some real close-ups. When we left he seemed very happy with the photos he was able to take.

Next up was the night exhibit where we'd find the kiwis and other nocturnal denizens of our island. The lighting wasn't really conducive to photography but Fili rummaged in his backpack and produced some filters that would allow him to shoot in low-light. He got some good shots of our kiwis, one of whom decided to be silly and do a little dance for the camera.

The tuaturas were almost no-show, ignoring the proffered crickets, as they opted to remain in their burrows. Their keeper happened to have a juvenile in a side cage that he was going to use for a visitor demonstration. It was perfect because only the young ones show the nearly translucent spot on their foreheads that covers their third eye.

Fili got several good shots of it, rhapsodizing about how so few animals have a pineal eye and how little is known about it. He knew an amazing amount of information about an obscure lizard and I couldn't help but be impressed.

He also surprised me by being fascinated by the lesser short-tailed bat, who is endangered but isn't the most photogenic beastie in the world. I always think they look like a cross between tiny winged rabbits and a pig. Their little upturned noses are cute…if you like bats.

They are one of the few bats in the world adapted to hunting on the ground and their keeper helpfully tossed in some crickets to get them up and moving. Jump, snatch, crunch, and no more cricket. Fili apparently was delighted and took a lot of photos of them.

But he floored me by asking to hold a weta. Those are ugly fuckers that even I am not all that fond of. Like many city-boys, he'd heard of them, of course, but never met one up close and personal. Unlike most city-boys, he looked delighted when Ori brought one out and eagerly reached for it

Smiling like a child with a new, toy he held it carefully in both hands as he inspected it. "I can't believe how heavy it is."

Ori grinned, obviously pleased that someone besides him appreciated the weta. "A pregnant female can get up to 70g. I think this one is more in the early 60's though."

Fili handed it back carefully. "When I was a kid I had a giant African millipede. She was about 24cm long but I don't think she was this heavy."

Ori was impressed. "You had a giant millipede? I'm trying to talk them into getting some. They'd make a great addition to the insect encounter."

"Yeah, they're pretty cool, aren't they?" Fili replied. "She was a red banded and really pretty. My uncle brought her back from Ghana. I had her for years."

I think the two of them would have talked bugs all day, but I chivvied Fili out and headed him toward the meerkats. With the way he liked to commune with the animals, I was worried that he wouldn't get the photos he wanted. We should have started in the morning.

The meerkats never failed to please and I didn't feel a bit guilty about talking Fili into coming to meet them. Dwalin let us into their enclosure and steered us behind some bushes so that we were out of sight of visitors. If they saw all the fun Fili was having they'd demand to come in as well.

The moment he put his backpack down, Fili became the center of interest. Our meerkats had all been born here and were as tame as house cats. Fili got some great shots of two juveniles as they tried to figure out first the buckle and then the zipper. They're intelligent with clever little hands and it's probably only their small size that keeps them from taking over the world.

Ignoring the fact that he was wearing expensive clothes, Fili plopped down onto the ground next to them. One of the females took up a perch on the toe of his shoe, conversing with him in chirps that he parroted back at her. She ran up his arm and sat on his shoulder for a moment and then made a determined effort to burrow into his ear. Finding nothing of interest there, she leaned around, patted his moustache, and looked up his nose. He laughed so hard he scared her back down into his lap.

Fili looked up when I burst out laughing and grinned sheepishly when he realized that I had my phone out and was filming him.

"I get a copy of that!" he called over to me.

"No problems. You can have it as soon as I put it up on YouTube." I gave him a cheeky grin in reply.

"Bastard!" His laugh was cut short by the little female in his lap deciding that open mouths looked interesting and making a determined leap to check his out.

It took him a frenzied moment to extract the little beastie from his beard. If I was mean enough to post this footage online, it would have gone viral.

He gave me a not-too-convincing glare, got up, and retrieved his camera. Dwalin came back with bag of crickets, which he turned loose. Fili spent the next half hour ignoring me while he took shot after shot of the meerkats chasing the crickets. He was hampered by the fact that several meerkats had quickly stuffed themselves and then were dedicated to trying to climb his leg so that they could play with his camera.

I got some good shots of Fili trying to discourage the meerkats while Dwalin laughed so hard he was of little help. For such a big guy, he was amazingly gentle with his tiny charges and found their assaults on Fili hilarious.

"You're the most fun the wee ones have had in a long time," he managed to say between peals of laughter.

Fili peeled one off the inside of his thigh, wincing as the sharp nails punctured the fabric and dug into his skin. "I'm delighted that everyone is having such a good time." He sounded terse, but his eyes were shining.

"Oh aye laddie, we're all having a brilliant time." Dwalin teased as he disengaged one from the back of Fili's leg. "But I think they're getting' a wee bit over excited now."

Agreeing with Dwalin, we made our exit much to the disappointment of Fili's new friends. Even though I was pretty sure he was sporting some scratches, he was hesitant to leave. Fortunately, the tamarins were pretty close.

It was getting late, so we arrived close to feeding time. Ori, one of the keepers, was just going in with dinner and he allowed us to accompany him. Chatting nonstop about his charges and their delightful behaviors, he gave us some of the fruit and veggies to feed as snacks. We were immediately beset by tiny golden bullets, eager for dinner.

They are endangered in the wild and these beauties were going to help keep them from extinction. Since they were never going to be released and needed to be handled, This mob was as tame as kittens and twice as inquisitive. Ori called out their names to us, although I've never figured out how he could tell them apart. Like tiny molten savages, the besieged us grabbing chunks of their favorite food, shoving one piece into their mouth and taking more in their hands. They squabbled like back and forth until they acquired what they thought were the best pieces. When they couldn't carry any more, they settled down to feast, reminding me of small children in both their enthusiasm and their manners.

Fili handed me the remainder of his food and proceeded to photograph me festooned with the little golden picnickers. Some of them traded my shoulder for the branches above so they didn't have to share and he got some good action shots as well as some close-ups of them eating and then grooming the remains of their dinner from their hands and face…and the remains that they'd gotten onto my face as well.

I was watching one try to figure out if I might have an undiscovered grape or two in my front pocket, when I heard Fili yell in surprise.

One of the tamarins had finished grooming and decided that the top of Fili's head would be a good place to explore. He'd dropped down from the tree, startling Fili and then decided to have a better look at that bun.

For the second time, Fili found the band yanked off, this time by clever little fingers that didn't want to give it back. There was a miniature tussle as Fili risked sharp little teeth and an attitude big enough for a gorilla. They weren't just called "lions" just because of their color.

Ori handed Fili a chunk of pineapple and in moments they settled on a truce. Fili got custody of the band and the tamarin got the pineapple as well as squatting right on the top of Fili's head. I laughed so hard I was crying. Fili was going to find out the hard way that pineapple is juicy and that his hair made a wonderful napkin for his new hat.

When the tamarin was done eating, he was perfectly content to sit atop Fili's head and survey the world. It was beginning to look as if Fili was starting a new career as a tamarin seat. Ori chuckled, took a photo with his own phone, then produced a grape and bit into it, smacking his lips and generally making it appear to be the most delicious thing in the world. Fili's companion couldn't stand it and quickly abandoned his perch in quest of that marvelous piece of fruit. He leaped onto Ori's arm, scurried up to his shoulder and sat eating his prize, Fili completely forgotten.

I was laughing so hard I snorted. "Looks like you've been thrown over for a grape."

Fili ran his hand through his hair, grimacing as he felt the sticky juice. "I've been dumped for less."

Once he was unencumbered, Fili got some good shots and took one of Ori with his little greedy friend.

"You bring him back anytime," Ori called as we were leaving. "Your bro's good enrichment for 'em."

Fili looked puzzled. I laughed. "It means that you gave them something to do and kept them entertained."

"Well, they kept me entertained as well," he replied, packing his gear.

Fili picked up the backpack and we got back in the golf cart. He looked at his watch with a little sigh. "It's getting late, you'll be closing soon"

I chuckled. "We're already closed, mate, but I didn't want to pull you away from your little friends."

He looked a little embarrassed. "I already took up half of your day off, I didn't mean to stay so long."

I waved away his concern. "Don't think twice about it. I had a blast. It's been too long since I just went and looked at some of the animals, and watching you get gang-shagged by meerkats and tamarins, not to mention that kea, was great."

Fili turned in his seat and looked at me for a long moment. "Could I take you out to dinner to make up for stealing your afternoon off?"

"You don't have to do that. I was more than glad to take you around. We didn't even get to see everything you had on your list." I didn't want him to feel obligated to me. I'd had a good time and didn't feel like he owed me anything.

"I…I want to," he said softly, his voice more hesitant that I expected and was that a blush? "I enjoyed our afternoon in more than one way. I don't often find anyone who loves animals as much as I do and it was aces to hang out with you."

"Oh." There I go again, the king of superb replies.

"It's okay if you don't want to go out with me," he said quickly. "I just thought I'd ask."

That broke my paralysis and it was my turn to blush. "No, really, I do want to go out with you. I was just surprised you'd ask me."

"Why?"

I shrugged. I didn't want to say that I thought he was out of my league, even though I did.

He gave me a wry smile that was worth about half a dimple. "Is it because you didn't think a world famous photographer would date a zoo vet?"

"Something like that," I muttered, fiddling with the steering wheel. Anything not to have to turn my head and look at him again.

"I have no idea what my cousin told you about me, but I'm struggling to get started. Photography is very competitive and I'm pretty much living off what's left of a small inheritance and what I earn at Photo Warehouse."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess I dressed too nicely today, but I wanted to impress you."

"Why would you want to do that?" Well, I'm nothing if not honest.

The wry smile grew tighter. "Tauriel showed me your photo and, well, I just wanted to be the kind of guy you'd want to date."

It was my turn to smile and it wasn't wry. "You could have shown up in rags. The minute you and the kea started to bond I fell halfway in love with you."

"And now that I'm not in rags and I've been thoroughly rumpled by meerkats and tamarins?"

"I think I'm at least three-quarters of the way there."

"So you'll have dinner with me?" His voice was hopeful.

"I wouldn't miss it. You can show me some of the snaps you took and I'll let you see the videos I got of you and your little friends."

I was practically coming out of my seat with joy but tried to stay cool. "We aren't in the best shape for fine dining, but I know a great Thai takeaway not too far from here and we could eat at my place."

His smile was full wattage, dimples digging deep and making my head swim. "I like the sound of that."

"I was hoping you would." Boy, was I hoping he would.

So he picked up egg-free tofu pad Thai for me and Massaman curry for himself along with some mango fried rice to share. I let him into my flat, glad I'd given it a hoovering the day before.

I set out some plates and cutlery while Fili was watching my veiltail gold fish. I carried the plates to the table and said, "The orange and white one is Dansā and the one with black on him is Niji. Their names are Japanese and mean Dancer and Rainbow."

Fili wiggled his finger at the tank and both fish came up and begged for food like puppies. "Why are they in such a big tank?"

"Because they are only small to start with and can get 20cm or more." I handed him the jar of fish food. "You can give them dinner but they only get a pinch each. They'll lie and say they are still hungry but I don't want them to get bloated. They'll eat until they pop if you let them.

He fed them carefully chuckling as they did their hungry puppy routine begging for more. "You little liars have had all you are going to get. It's my turn to eat now."

We talked between bites and I found we had a lot in common. We were both vegans, played soccer in school and gotten our arses kicked – his because he was small and me because I was a beanpole. We also liked both dogs and cats and had neither because we weren't home enough. He hadn't thought about fish, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Dansā and Niji so I saw a tank in his future.

Dinner was definitely going well and although I am not the kind of guy who invites someone he's just met into his bed, I was leaning toward making an exception in Fili's case. That smile and those dimples were definitely doing a job on my libido.

Without asking, he picked up our dishes and carried them out to the kitchen. "I'll wash if you dry."

I chuckled. "That sounds like a fair division of labor."

I got a towel out of the drawer and turned around to find Fili standing right behind me. My breath caught in my throat and I could feel a sizzle of heat blast through me. It was as if the temperature of the air between us has suddenly risen.

I'm not sure who initiated the kiss. It was long and slow and unbelievably delicious. He tasted of mango and curry and sex.

I felt as if I couldn't get my breath. It had been a long time since someone turned me on this much. Fili was right in so many ways, more than I dared to hope for when I first saw him. Even his approach to kissing was right…he took things slowly, building and not forcing. He tasted me and invited me to taste him back without hurrying me to the bedroom. It was heaven.

…It was interrupted by my phone.

The ringtone was Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan call, signaling that it was the zoo. I had to take it.

One sentence in and my hopes for the evening were dashed. Fili saw the look on my face and he turned to face me, waiting to see what I would say.

I disconnected and shook my head. "I'm sorry but I have to go. Marie is the vet on duty tonight, but she's working on a flamingo who apparently lost an argument with a fence. Our youngest wildebeest doe is having trouble calving and I have to go. I know it's kind of like our first date and I'm really sorry."

Fili nodded. "Of course you have to go."

He followed me a couple of steps out of the kitchen. "Could I possibly come along?"

I had my doubts. "It can get messy…and smelly."

"I think I can survive both. How could I possibly pass up the chance to photograph a brand new baby wildebeest?" He was already shouldering his backpack.

"As long as you're sure. Since this isn't her first it could take a while."

He gave me a long look. "I like to think I'm in it for the duration."

I could feel my ears redden as I felt the weight of the double entendre. "As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure." He smiled; his eyes met mine and then dropped his eyes making me want to kiss him again. I pulled my libido back and tucked it away. I had work to do.

We reached the barn and found Tom and Bofur already there. Bofur was her keeper and from the looks of Tom, he'd been hauled in on short notice like I had. I was glad to see him. The big Maori is one of the best vet techs we have.

He dragged his hand through his hair, looking worried. "She went down about 45 minutes ago. She's still trying, but not much is happening."

"How long ago did she start labor?" I asked as we walked into the barn.

"This is her second hour. The calf is taking its own sweet time about moving into position. Marie's been with her but she had to go when the flamingo broke its leg.

Bofur suddenly noticed my companion and jerked his thumb toward Fili. "Are we bringing guests these days?"

"Can it, smartass," I replied as I slipped into a pair of coveralls and wadded my hair into a messy bun. "This is Fili. He was photographing here today and is going to make your ugly mugs famous."

They both laughed. Bofur with his drooping handlebar mustache and his stoner attitude looked like anything but an expert on gazelles but he was spearheading the push to acquire more endangered species for the zoo. Fili shook hands with them and the ice was broken. There wasn't much talk as we went in. Everyone was too worried.

I found Nyota lying on her side snorting uncomfortably. Her name means, "Star" in Swahili and she's always been a favorite of mine. She'd been born here with me in attendance and was relatively used to being handled as she had regular checkups, her hooves trimmed, and was moved between enclosures. Still, she threw up her head and fixed me with a "don't fuck with me" look when I entered her stall.

I pointed Fili toward the bale of straw in the corner. "Sit over there. You can film anything you want but don't get in my way and stay away from her head."

Nyota was still down, not standing in the normal position for her species to give birth, which meant she was already exhausted. This was so not good.

I moved closer to her, speaking in what I hoped was a reassuring tone and let her get my scent. She knew me but I was also the guy who had needles as well as apples and she didn't find my presence all that comforting. I motioned Bofur to come over. He was her keeper and as soon as he started to talk to her, she settled down.

I slipped on a long glove and lay down behind her. Nyota twitched her tail in displeasure, smacking me in the face. "I don't blame you, girl, I wouldn't like me back here either."

Tom gloved up, broke open a sterile wipe pack, and swabbed her vulva. He changed gloves and spread a sterile cloth under her rear, then went back to assist Bofur. They gently held her down while I lubricated hand and arm and slid it into her vaginal canal. She grunted but didn't move, signaling how exhausted she was. The calf was in position but another contraction didn't budge it. I frowned when I realized that I could only feel one leg. I reached past its neck and found that one its front legs was folded under instead of being where it should be, stretched out and lying along side the calf's neck and cheeks.

Shit!

I took a breath and fought to remember everything I'd ever done or read or seen about delivering a calf in this position. I rode out the next contraction and then checked to see if we had a live calf.

Running my fingers along the little face I poked one into the calf's mouth to see if I could get a suckle response.

Nothing.

Double shit!

Feeling like a bastard I dug my knuckle into the calf's eye to see if it would respond to pain. There was a slight movement away from my hand.

Yes! We had a live baby, now it was up to me to keep it that way. I had to move the foot and do it quickly.

I called up at Tom and Bofur, "Hang onto her, mates, I'm going to have to push the calf back and pull one of its feet forward. She's not gonna like that very much."

Applying some more lube to both my arm and the canal, I lay back down and pushed with all my strength. Nyota grunted and rocked sideways. From the swearing and then the sweet-talk I knew she tried to hook one or both of them with her horns. Fortunately, they knew how to deal with it, move out of her way, then came back in and pinned her again. I didn't want to anesthetize her because I needed her to be able to push as soon as I freed the foot.

The calf hadn't budged, so I caught my breath, warned them to hang on and pushed again. It was like trying to shove a truck backward while lying on my side and seemed to be having about the same effect. If I gained a little ground I lost it with the next contraction.

Each time she contracted, my arm felt like it was held in a warm vice. I was so glad that she was small and not a cow. Being inside a grown cow during contractions is way past uncomfortable. Wildebeests were large antelopes but Nyota was only a bit over 181 kg as opposed to about 600 kg for a cow. Still, this was no picnic and, while I was glad when the contraction was over I was also worried as it had been noticeably weaker than the one before. Nyota was giving out.

I waited for the contraction to end and then shoved as hard as I could. It felt like I strained something in my lower back but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered right now was Nyota and her calf.

Suddenly the calf slid backwards and it felt like popping the cork out of a bottle. I barely had room to get my hand in further, and grabbed the leg just below the knee. I pulled until I felt it move forward and then slid my hand down the leg to cup the hoof to prevent it from tearing the vaginal canal when I pulled it forward. I'd performed this maneuver once before but that was with a cow where there was room for both hands. This little girl was going to make me do it the hard way.

I had to move the hoof before the next contraction. I was only going to get one shot at this, so I held on for dear life and pulled first gently and then harder as the leg came around and slid into place next to the calf's jaw.

The calf's long legs extended well past its head and I grasped both fetlocks and waited for the next contraction. Trying to pull the calf out by force was too risky. It was better to lose the calf and keep from tearing up the mother.

The contraction didn't come.

I called to Tom. "She's stopped contracting. Give her 1.5 mL of Oxytocin."

I could hear him rummaging around in the med kit for the drug that would force her to have contractions. She flinched as he drove the needle home and then relaxed again. She was so tired. I used my free hand to stroke her rump. "I'm so sorry, little girl. It will be over in a few minutes. I promise I'll bring you all the apples when it's over."

While I waited for the contractions to start again I was aware that there was dead silence in the stall. Poor Fili. He'd come in the hopes of getting some good shots of a new calf but it was beginning to look like all he was going to see was me delivering a dead one.

Suddenly Nyota heaved and the Oxytocin-induced contraction inched the calf forward.

This was my cue and I pulled as hard as I could. When the hooves came into view, I grabbed on with both hands and pulled even harder. I braced one foot on Nyota's rump and gave one more tug and the calf slid out to land on my chest, spraying me with amniotic fluid. I didn't mind a bit.

It lay limply in my arms, tongue hanging out, blue from lack of oxygen. I had never seen anything look more dead, but I had to try. I turned over, cleared its muzzle, held one nostril closed and blew gently. One breath, two, three. Come on, little one, breathe!

Tom pulled away the sack and gently massaged its little body with a rough towel, trying to stimulate it enough to take a breath. I could hear him whispering over and over, "Come on, baby, you can do it."

Time was our enemy now. I glanced at the oxygen tank Tom had put next to me. It was useless unless we could get this little one to take a breath.

Just one.

"Breathe, baby," I whispered. "Just breathe."

Suddenly there was the slightest tremor under my fingers. And then another.

The calf took a shaky breath. I blew again and it breathed out, and then took the next breath on its own.

I heard a cheer from Fili and the other two joined in. I felt like jumping up and down and yelling myself. Instead, I grabbed the oxygen tank and tubing, lubricated it and slid it in one nostril and down into the calf's trachea. It needed all the oxygen it could get now, and I was more than glad to provide it.

The breaths were shallow and hesitant but they were steady. Tom was grinning as he finished drying off the little body. I finally managed to see that it was a girl. A fine little girl who was going to grow up and grow old and I was going to take care of her every day of her life.

I sat back and peeled off the gloves, dropping them onto the once-sterile sheet that was now as soiled as I was with mucus, amniotic fluid and manure...thanks, Nyota. I just sat there looking at the calf, watching as her eyes slowly turned from clouded to dark and shining as the life seeped back into her tiny body. Birth was always a miracle but this one had pulled out all the stops.

I quickly taped the oxygen tube first to her muzzle and then made a loop around her ear, so that Tom would be able to manage the line until she no longer needed it. She didn't like the tape on her muzzle but so much had happened to her that after a head shake she left it alone.

Now that she was relieved of her burden, Nyota lurched to her feet and stood swaying as Bofur helped to support her. Slowly, she turned and shuffled over to her baby. She nuzzled the little heifer and then stretched out her tongue and gave her new baby a long lick. The little one struggled to lift her head, trying to get to her mommy. Tom helped her to her feet, supporting her as Nyota licked her, learning her scent and forming the strong bond they'd need for the coming months.

I rolled out of their way and sat watching them. Wildebeests aren't the world's most beautiful animals but at that moment I thought that nothing could be more amazing and gorgeous. Every tiny bit of the calf was perfect, from her tiny pink hooves to the long curled eyelashes that shaded eyes now sparkling with life. I swore she was the most gorgeous beast I'd ever seen.

I felt movement and realized that Fili sat down next to me. He slung an arm over my shoulder and gave me a squeeze.

"I'm disgusting," I said pulling away.

He pulled me back. "I don't give a fuck."

Together we watched the new baby take her first hesitant steps and then reach up to nuzzle Nyota, looking for a teat. With Tom's help she found one and started to nurse, first tentatively and then more greedily. Her little tail switched with pleasure and she needed less and less support from Tom. She was going to need a very special name. Idly, I wondered what the world for miracle was in Swahili.

"This has to be the greatest job in the world," Fili murmured as he watched the pair.

I chuckled. "When it goes like this, it is."

Reluctantly, I stood up, stripped off my soiled coverall and added it to the pile of trash. Stretching, I heard my back crunch like breakfast cereal and then pop back into alignment. Getting older is a bitch. I turned to Fili and waited until he had stood up and stripped off his now disgusting jacket.

I fished my car keys out of my pocket and held them out. "I'm going to be here for most of the night. Take my car and go home so you can grab a shower and some sleep."

He made no move to take them. "How will you get home?"

I shrugged. "I have some spare clothes in the clinic. I can shower there and get a bit of sleep on the cot in the back."

He shook his head. "If I leave I might miss something."

Tom chuckled. "Yeah, like Doc falling asleep and drooling." He looked at my hair, stiff on one side with dried fluids. "Kili's not always this pretty, you know."

I facepalmed and groaned, much to Fili's amusement. "I hope not, I don't think I could stand it if he was." He winked at Tom and then turned to give me an unmistakably sexy look. "How many times do you get to meet someone who can deliver a baby and save a life?"

He took my hand in his, his lips curving into a smile. "And I got it all on camera. I'm going to show the world what a real hero looks like." He gave my hand a squeeze. "If you don't mind, I think I'll stick around."

"You promise?" I could feel my pulse still as I waited for the answer.

"Oh yeah. I'm going to be sticking around for a long time."

I went to wash up, sticky hair and all, and came back to find the three of them sitting together on a bale of hay watching the calf with identical goofy grins.

Tom gave me a big grin. "She's doing great, getting stronger every minute. We have a name for her."

Bofur got up and dusted the hay off his jeans. "Yeah, since you deserted us to go and get all pretty for your boyfriend, we took it into our own hands."

Fili just looked sheepish but had the biggest grin of all of them. "Hope you don't mind."

I was tired and not in the mood for jokes. "Well, are any of you going to tell me what it is, or do I have to play twenty questions?"

Tom went over and ran his hand down her back, giving a little scratch on her rump. She wiggled appreciatively and nearly toppled over. He steadied her and said, "We decided to name her Koa. She's a true warrior so she needed a Maori name."

"Aces," I replied. "What's it mean?"

He scratched her again and then stood up. We named her for what she brought with her…joy…"

"Koa," I said, trying out the name. "It was a good one. She certainly brought us joy this evening. I don't think any of us will forget it."

We all sat with her a little longer. At 2am she was strong and steady, so I took out the oxygen tube. Koa gave a little buck to celebrate getting rid of it. There would be no more crisis tonight, so I told Bofur and Tom to go home and go to bed. Mother and daughter were out of the woods and doing well. I wanted to stay a bit longer.

I wearily sat down on the bale of hay and Fili sat next to me. He held my hand and gave me that look that everyone dreams about. I felt like I could walk on water, but instead I settled for accepting the blanket that Bofur brought over before he left.

Leaning against the wall, he pulled me to him and kissed me gently. "Lean on me and close your eyes, hero, I'll wake you up if anything happens."

I wanted to say that I was fine but my exhaustion had caught up with me. I snuggled against his shoulder and let my eyes close. He was warm and strong and as I cuddled closer I thought I should take my own advice and…just breathe.


End file.
